Does anyone's really dirty laundry come clean at 40?

[elvislives]

I've got a new washing machine. I use Vanish in-wash powder. I have tried every powder/ liquid/ capsules/ gel/ tablets on the market. I don't overload the drum. But still my DD's tops, socks and knickers come out stained.

I'm sure they need to be washed at 50 (like in the olden days) but my modern machine only has 30 40 or 60.

Does anybody manage to get really dirty clothes clean, without having to do a lot of soaking/ prewashing or treating?

How many clothes say "wash at 60 degrees" though? Do you find many things shrink at 60 degrees?

Ariel liquitabs (two if clothes are very dirty) plus Vanish at 40° normally works for us. But I sometimes wash at 60° if things are very dirty.

And you can wash most cottons at 90° if a disaster (chocolate, tomato sauce) occurs.

I do tend to wash most stuff at 40. However, any "bad" stains are treated as soon as I notice. if stuff is bad I soak in a bucket with solution of ariel or similar (for up to 24 hours) or put on prewash in machine. Even rinsing a stain with cold water as soon as it occurs can help a lot.

Also as others have said, dry out in the sun whenever possible.

Never tumble dry or iron over stains, this really does set them. If desperate to iron an item, iron round the stain. Occasionally some stains that look permanent (red pepper or red pasta sauce can be bad) gradually fades after 2-3 washes, but not if it is ironed over.